PURA Archived News - March 2021
Purdue Retiree Directory (coming soon)
COVID-19 Info From United Health Care (for PURCare and PURA Medicare Advantage plan members)
Reminders:
Retiree Presence on Campus During COVID-19 Situation
Special Event: 3/15/21 Presentation, “Vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, The Virus That Causes COVID-19”
Purposeful Living in Retirement: 4/21/21, Topic, Speaker, Registration Information, No Cost to Attend
PURA’s Upcoming Events:
March Campus Calendar
Norm's Notes:
PURA Annual Business Meeting in April; Purdue Computer Equipment/Software for Retirees Discontinued; Welcoming Your Feedback
Articles:
PURA Web Site/Retiree Directory Update
Jerry Day Recommended for PURA President-Elect
Proposed PURA By-Laws Changes
PURA’s Student Scholars Speak Out
Purdue Day of Giving: 4/28/21, Matching Dollars Available
Confessions of a Book Addict: This is How It Happened
PURA Tech Bytes - By Scott Ksander: Passwords!!!
Road Trip! Kankakee Sands
True Tales of an Entomologist – by Tom Turpin: Sexing Mosquitos
Notable Historic March Events
Find Recordings of PURA's Monthly Meetings
Benefits/Health:
Flaky Skin
Campus Services News:
Contact Email for PURA
How to Subscribe to Purdue Today
COVID-19 Info From United Health Care (for PURCare and PURA Medicare Advantage plan members)
April, 2020
This is a time of concern and uncertainty for us all. Hoping to allay some of the stress and concern, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has informed PURA that their top priority is the well-being of their health plan members and the safety of those who deliver healthcare.
UnitedHealthcare is aligned with guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and is taking actions to insure that those affected by COVID-19, including Purdue retirees covered by PURCare and the PURA Medicare Advantage plan, have the support and resources they need. For updated information, please visit https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/covid-19
In summary, the following is of significant interest:
UHC has waived all member cost sharing-including copays, coinsurance and deductibles for approved diagnostic testing for COVID-19 for all commercial insured, Medicaid and Medicare members who may be affected by COVID-19.
UHC will cover a provider visit for COVID-19 in the same way it covers other provider visits based on health benefits plan. Where available, UHC, is encouraging a Virtual Visit with a provider.
You have probably heard this many times already, but the following is the most important information:
STAY INFORMED
Those at highest risk are older adults and those with serious health conditions. Protect yourself:
* Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
* Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
* Avoid close contact with others--especially with those who are sick.
* Clean and disinfect things that you touch often.
* Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve. Place used tissues into trash.
* If you feel sick, stay home.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you. We encourage you to visit the above web link frequently for updated information. Be careful and stay well!
Retiree Presence on Campus During COVID-19 Situation
Bill Bell, Purdue Vice President for Human Relations, addressed the question of whether retirees should visit campus at the September 14 virtual PURA Kickoff meeting.
While there are no formal restrictions around retirees visiting campus, keep in mind that one of the overall objectives of Protect Purdue is to de-densify the number of people present on campus.
Given that many retirees are considered a “vulnerable” population due to age or pre-existing medical conditions, if you don’t have pressing business, it’s advisable to avoid campus.
For up-to-the-minute information about specific programs or services visit: https://protect.purdue.edu (particularly the Campus Visitors link).
Special Event: 3/15/21 Presentation, “Vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, The Virus That Causes COVID-19”
Join PURA on Monday, March 15, at 12:00 noon ET, as Professor David Sanders discusses the vaccine approaches for immunization against SARS CoV-2 and explains how they directly mimic aspects of the viral life cycle. He will also address the process by which the vaccines were tested and authorized, and distribution issues.
Dr. Sanders is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue University. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Yale College in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He conducted his Ph.D. research in Biochemistry with Dr. Daniel E. Koshland, Jr., who was then editor of the journal Science, at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Sanders joined the Markey Center for Structural Biology at Purdue University in 1995.
Professor Sanders is the author of two U.S. patents on novel gene- therapy delivery techniques. His work on the Ebola virus led to his participation in the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Biological Weapons Proliferation Prevention Program, a product of the Nunn-Lugar legislation. His responsibilities included inspecting the Vector laboratory in Siberia, which was the site of biological-weapons development in the era of the Soviet Union. This past semester he taught the COVID-19 course at Purdue University.
Check your email for Zoom meeting connection information, to be sent via email a few days before the presentation. The event has been organized by the PURA Campus and Community Committee.
Purposeful Living in Retirement: April 21, 2021
Presentation: “Drugs in the Pipeline for Treating Human Disease”, by Dr. Philip Low, Presidential Scholar for Drug Discovery and Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University
Dr. Low is an outstanding, internationally recognized scientist and speaker whose lab specializes in “targeted therapeutics”. His lab designs the techniques needed to identify specific ways to interrupt disease processes. During this presentation, Dr. Low will address therapies to treat cancers, viral diseases, fibrotic diseases, autoimmune diseases, bone fractures, and more. By targeting the specific area through which the disease process is set to replicate, the therapies help prevent side effects associated with many disease treatments. Dr. Low has devoted over 45 years to developing novel drugs for treatment of human diseases in characterizing the structure, function and pathologies of the human red blood cell.
What is different about the PLIR this year?
* The conference will take place on April 21, 2021 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET.
* The format for this year’s virtual PLIR conference will offer one single presentation.
* The presentation will be offered online. A link will be provided via email in advance of the presentation.
* Your video will not be on screen.
* You will have the opportunity to submit questions through a chat function during the presentation.
* There will not be a printed mailing this year. Invitations will be emailed on March 30; you may forward to other guests if you so desire.
* There is NO CHARGE for the presentation, however registration will be required to attend (see below).
How Do You Register?
Registration for this FREE session will open on March 30, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. ET. An invitation will be sent via email on March 30, 2021 from the Purdue University Retirees Association, pura@purdue.edu. You may also visit the Purdue for Life Events Portal page directly to register, by visiting connect.purdue.edu/s/events.
Norm's Notes
PURA Business
This month brings about preparations and plans for the April 5th annual PURA business meeting. The COVID–19 situation prompted modifications to the way in which we manage elections and adjustments, reflected in the proposed changes to the By-Laws.
We will be hosting the PURA annual business meeting via a Zoom call. You will have an opportunity to cast your vote for the officers and for the By-Laws through a specialized software program.
The slate of officers proposed for our next fiscal year which begins July 1st, includes the following:
President — Bill Bennett
President-Elect — Jerry Day
Secretary — Judy Ware
Treasurer — Lucia Anderson
Historian — Sue Hume Graham
Past President — Norman Long
Resume for the proposed President-Elect, Jerry Day, is included on page 3 for your reference prior to the
meeting. Also, on page 3, you may review the proposed By-Law changes.
Purdue Computer Equipment/Software for Retirees Discontinued
One last note. A member raised the question whether software and/or computer equipment was still available for retirees through Purdue. Upon investigation we have learned that the entire program has been abandoned and is no longer available.
Your Feedback Is Welcomed
As has been our policy, we welcome your thoughts, comments and feedback regarding the PURA organization, our Zoom calls and ideas to further enhance the program for the PURA family.
Until next time…
With kindest regards and best wishes,
Dr. Norman D. Long
PURA President
Articles:
PURA Web Site/Retiree Directory Update
Our new co-webmasters, Julie Kercher-Updike and Jennifer Redden, are coming up to speed on use of the web maintenance tool. We so appreciate they’ve stepped forward to help! Though our site, www.purdue.edu/retirees, is not yet up to date, we’re making progress. We’ll continue to keep you posted on its status.
Additionally, a reminder that the Retiree Directory formerly in use is no longer available, due to a major system change completed by University Development in mid-January. The link still appears on the PURA home page but is not functional. The new system will provide similar functionality. We’ll make an announcement and provide instructions for use when it is ready.
Jerry Day Recommended for PURA President-Elect
After careful consideration, the PURA Nominating Committee recommends Jerry Day for the position of President Elect for 2021-2022 and PURA President for 2022-2023.
Jerry and his wife Linda are both graduates of Purdue University and have lived in the Lafayette community since then. They have two adult married sons who are also Purdue graduates, one a doctor in Lafayette, the other working and residing in Columbus, Ohio. The Days are longtime members of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, the Newman Center at Purdue, where Jerry taught religious education while his sons were growing up.
Since his retirement from Purdue in 2017, he has become active on both the church facilities committee and the finance council. Recently he has also served as a Purdue student’s mentor through the Esteem program sponsored by the church.
Although never involved in Boy Scouting as a youth, Jerry became very active with his two sons as they moved through the Scouting program to Eagle. He was recognized with the District Award of Merit, the Hall of Fame Award and the Silver Beaver in recognition of his many contributions to the youth of the community. Along with both his sons, Jerry was inducted into Scouting’s honorary, became a Vigil Honor member, was chapter advisor for four years and was a 2010 Founder’s Award Recipient.
Day began his career at Purdue while still a student, working first in the Cary Quad dining halls, then as a residence hall counselor in Fowler Courts, then as a housing intern under Bill Berner, and as a residence hall assistant manager at Cary Quad under Jim Burwell. In 1977 Day made the move to the Purdue Memorial Union to become an assistant director and manager of the Union Club Hotel where he served until his retirement.
Today he is still active with a group of PMU Retirees acting as their communication coordinator. He has also become active in PURA on the program committee, currently serving as its chairman.
Proposed PURA By-Laws Changes
The Purdue Retirees Association Executive Board has reviewed the By-Laws and are recommending the following proposed amendments which include the clarification of duties of the Secretary’s position, handling PURA business in unusual times, and adding a new committee to our committee roster, the Media Communications Committee.
Voting on the proposed changes will take place at the annual PURA business meeting in April 2021.
Article IV Section 4.2 (d) The Secretary shall record the minutes of the Executive Board meetings. The Secretary is responsible for changing the PURA officers listed on the University of Michigan website each July by emailing umra@umich.edu with the updated information. The Secretary shall serve a three-year term, but may be elected to serve a second three-year term, with a maximum uninterrupted term of six (6) years.
Renumbering of (second) (d) to e and e to (f)
Article V Section 5.1 Duties (k) Add statement: To intervene and support any PURA activity due to extraordinary events/circumstances either natural or man-made for the purpose of keeping PURA members safe and healthy. (This has been recommended as a result of recent experience with COVID.)
Article VI Section 6.1. Committees – Adding the Media Communications Committee to the listing of committees: The Media Communications Committee will be responsible for working with other PURA committees to effectively deliver content through electronic media and platforms such as Email, Zoom, and as appropriate, other electronic media such as Facebook and Twitter.
PURA’s Student Scholars Speak Out
My name is Hailey Furniss, and I am currently a freshman in exploratory studies, planning to graduate in 2024. I am writing this to thank you for your generosity and support in helping me finance my college education.
This funding has allowed me to begin my college experience with minimal stress. Without it I would have to work more than 20 hours a week to afford my housing or take out another loan. It allows me to be on campus and have the college experience every kid dreams about, even with COVID-19. I now have the opportunity to make the most out of my experience, and the ability to put my schoolwork above my job.
In the future, I plan on majoring in Animal Science as well as minoring in Wildlife Science. I plan on becoming a veterinarian and working with both exotic and local wildlife.
I am so grateful for this opportunity, thank you for the amazing gift you have given me.
Sincerely,
Hailey Furniss
PURA Student Scholarship
Freshman, Exploratory Studies, from Fort Wayne, Indiana
Thank you so much for your gracious scholarship! My name is Jordan Keuneke. My major is Pharmaceutical Sciences, with minors in Psychological Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Biotechnology. I am also pursuing the pre-medicine concentration. I am expecting to graduate in May 2022. My purpose for writing this is to thank you for your contribution towards my educational goals.
This scholarship is important for me because it allows me to continue my studies here at Purdue. With this scholarship, I can take out fewer loans and save money in the future. This funding allows me to continue my involvement with the Purdue Swim Club as the Meet Coordinator and continue working at the pool as a head lifeguard. Although I must still work while taking classes, scholarships like the one you granted me allows me to worry less about the financial struggles of college.
Being a junior presently, I plan on continuing my involvement with Purdue Swim Club and working at the pool. I am also looking forward to having the opportunity to get involved in drug dosage forms research in the spring semester with a professor in the Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology departments. After graduating from the Purdue College of Pharmacy with a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, I plan to attend medical school to become a medical doctor. After medical school, I plan to attend a residency program and ultimately specialize in pediatric surgery. Your contributions to my education allow me to be able to pursue my dreams.
Once again, thank you so much for the scholarship. I am grateful for people like you who are willing to support students like me in their educational paths.
Thanks again,
Jordan Keuneke
PURA Student Scholarship
Junior, School of Pharmacy, from Huntertown, Indiana
My name is Alexis Puente. I am currently a senior studying Kinesiology with a minor in Spanish. I will be graduating this spring, in May 2021. I look forward to graduating and it definitely went by fast. I am very appreciative that I am able to go to such a prestigious, well-known school. I definitely would not have been able to complete my four years here at Purdue if it was not for your generosity and support via the scholarship. I am forever grateful. I have made memories that I will remember forever and have met amazing professors during my time here at Purdue.
This scholarship has changed my life for the better and has allowed me to study here at Purdue. It allows me to be involved in Dance Marathon, the largest student-run philanthropic organization on campus. I am currently the Logistics Executive for this organization. Due to COVID, our marathon, which is usually 18 hours long, is now 12 hours and is fully virtual. Being the Logistics Executive means that I have the responsibilities of making a timeline for the day of the event, reaching out to entertainment groups, running a committee which includes having weekly meetings, and creating the layout of the event. This funding has allowed me to get the most out of my time here at Purdue without being bound by financial concerns.
Once graduation comes in May, I plan to attend Physical Therapy Assistant school. I plan on working part time at a physical therapy clinic while I go to school. I also have dreams of moving to either North Carolina or Virginia, though for the time being I will most likely stay in Indianapolis, my hometown, while I attend Physical Therapy school.
Once again, I am very grateful and am appreciative of this scholarship!
Kindest Regards
Alexis Puente
PURA Student Scholarship
Senior, School of Health and Human Sciences, from Indianapolis, Indiana
Top of page
Purdue Day of Giving--Save The Date, April 28, 2021: 15,000 Matching Dollars Available
Purdue’s annual day of giving provides millions of dollars to support student scholarships and over the last five years PURA members have contributed over $56,000 dollars on that giving day to the two PURA scholarship endowments. That has resulted in the ability to provide financial assistance to nineteen Indiana students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Let’s continue supporting these students by giving generously on April 28 to create even more scholarship opportunities. Each donation up to $15,000 will be matched dollar for dollar.
PURA scholarship recipients are most appreciative of the assistance these scholarships provide. Pictured above are a few of the students and you may view some of their thank you letters in the December, January/February, current, and April PURA newsletters. They would not be able to attend Purdue University without the assistance provided by the PURA Student Scholarship Endowment and the PURA POA Endowment in Honor of Martin C. and Patty Jischke.
Please contribute on April 28, 2021. Every gift makes a difference. And remember, each $1.00 donated becomes $2.00, up to $15,000.
A dedicated online link to contribute to the endowments will be emailed to you prior to April 28, 2021. If you prefer to mail a donation, write a check payable to the Purdue for Life Foundation, with either the PURA Student Scholarship Endowment or PURA POA Endowment in Honor of Martin C. and Patty Jischke noted in the memo line. Send the check to: Purdue for Life Foundation, 403 W. Wood Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2007. You may also call 1-800-319-2199.
For individuals over 70 ½ years of age, gifts contributed from your IRA are not taxable income and qualify for your required minimum distribution (RMD). To learn more about the IRA Rollover opportunities, or to make an IRA Rollover charitable contribution, please contact the Office of Planned Giving, (765) 494-8657.
Confessions of a Book Addict: This is How It Happened
By Jo Thomas
David McCollough was a writer of meticulously researched histories. His subjects varied from a flood to Teddy Roosevelt. In The Pioneers he chooses the settling of the Midwest. The Northwest Ordinance of 1788 covered the States that would become Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and a slice of Minnesota. At the time, it was claimed by New York and Virginia. The unclaimed wilderness was to be free of religious governance, free universal education for all and no slavery. A minister named Manasseh Cutler gathered a group of stout folk to colonize what would become Marietta, Ohio. They expected many hardships but not the arrival of Aaron Burr. Burr bought an island, built a beautiful mansion and imported French furniture. Unfortunately, Burr couldn’t forgo his illegal ways and was routed by the Feds.
Fifty years later America was well-established, but filled with rather dull people. The Greater Journey tells the travels of American men and women who sought enlightenment in France. From 1830 to 1900, American artists, writers, doctors, sculptors, musicians and politicians soaked up the knowledge centered there. They returned to make a better, brighter, more vigorous nation.
The Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America is a hard book to read as it takes a look back to racial problems that are still ongoing. The story features The Green Book, a tour guide for people of color to find places that would serve them on their travels. In the mid-1930’s, automobiles gave people the freedom to travel. But that was particularly hard for black people who had to pack their cars with food, water, gasoline, blankets, etc., because they were never sure where they would be welcome.
In 1936, a postal worker named Victor Green, had an idea. He found businesses that were safe and published a guide which sold through mail order and black-owned businesses for one dollar yearly. These businesses also ran ads, which increased his income. Esso Gas—now known as Exxon—was one of these businesses, so the tourists could leave their gas cans at home. Published annually, the cover of the 1959 version admonished “Carry your GREEN BOOK with you. You might need it.” The guide was published until 1967.
Author Candacy A. Taylor not only wrote The Overground Railroad, but traveled to all the places mentioned in the guide to photograph all that were still standing.
Biographer Ron Chernow’s book, Alexander Hamilton—the inspiration for the acclaimed Hip Hop musical—examines every bit of Hamilton’s life. He tells of the sad boyhood, the two men who sent him to America for a good education and everything good and bad that inspired him up to his death and beyond.
There is a different look at Hamilton in The Monmouth Courthouse by Joseph G. Bilby and Katherine Bilby Jenkins. Hamilton was angry because Washington would not let him fight. This is the battle where the Americans came together as a fighting force and is one of the most important aspects of the Revolutionary War.
PURA Tech Bytes:
Passwords!!
By Scott Ksander
By far, passwords are the most common (and usually intense) frustration I hear from retirees. There is nothing in this column that is likely to mitigate this frustration, but it might provide some perspective that will help you understand the importance of passwords.
Full Disclosure – I am the person who is most responsible for the Purdue Password Policy that made you change your password either every 90 days or every year. It was a good idea then, and it is a good idea now.
The biggest challenge as we have moved into the Cyberworld is the concept of identity. In the physical world, we have physical keys for locks, signatures for matching, and Photo IDs for verification. When you go to open your Safe Deposit Box, you must have a physical key, a matching signature, and a photo ID. This makes the financial institution feel comfortable that you are who you claim to be. In the Cyberworld, you only have some identifier like an email address or a “User ID” and a password. The email address or “User ID” is publicly available or, in many cases, easy to guess; ksander@purdue.edu is certainly no secret. This means a password is the only thing protecting my increasingly valuable information. If you know anything about me, you might easily guess a password like “GoBoilers”, my birthday, or some combination of the names of my grandchildren. If you guess right, then you have access to all my information and can execute transactions as me!!
Your password is your protection; you had best pick a good one. Don’t pick a word that would appear in any dictionary of any language. That would be an easy source for repeated guessing. Don’t pick “abc123”, “password”, “123456”, or “qwerty”. Don’t pick the name of your favorite pet or some nickname that would be easily discovered. Pick something unique and, most importantly, something you can remember.
Some security experts suggest using a different password for each service you use. This can be problematic as we use more and more cyberworld services. I don’t suggest this. Rather, divide up your services into a few basic categories: Financial (banking, retirement), Personal (email accounts), Public (Facebook, social media), and eCommerce (credit cards, Amazon). You can remember 4 passwords and it is even easier if you use a clever scheme to create them. For example, use the first character of the words in the title of your favorite song and, as a bonus, add a special character like a “!” somewhere in the mix. Tech side note – in the geek world the “!” character is called a “bang”.
Many schemes have been introduced to add additional protection for identity such as Two-Factor Authentication, TouchID and FaceID. Many experts believe that within 10 years the password as we know it today will be replaced with better identity schemes. I hope they are right, but I have my doubts.
University of Michigan has a great poster distributed on campus regarding passwords. You can guess the poster image, but the text said, “Passwords are like underwear. Change them now and then!”
Road Trip! Kankakee Sands
By Karen Lembcke
With the snow and the cold, and feeling somewhat house-bound, I decided to take a mini-safari. Well, no pith helmets or reservations required. Binoculars could be helpful. My destination was the Kankakee Sands (located just off Highway 41, north of Morocco and south of Schneider) to see the buffalo, or bison.
Driving northbound, you will see a sign that indicates “Buffalo Viewing Area” with an arrow directing you to turn left at the next crossroad. You drive about a mile west; turn left and go about a mile when you see a sign directing you to the viewing area. This viewing area is free and open to the public 365 days a year, from approximately 7:00 am to dusk CT (Central Time). There are Bison Rangers at the viewing area on the last Saturday of the month from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm CT. There are several hiking trails available as well as several sign boards.
The Kankakee Sands is approximately 8,400 acres, with a portion of this in Illinois. It is owned and operated by the Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. This area includes the Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area, Beaver Lake Nature Preserve and the Conrad Savanna Nature Preserve.
The Kankakee Sands derived its name from the sandy soils which supports the prairie, sedge meadows and the oak barrens. Less than 100 years ago, the land around the Kankakee River resembled the swampland in Florida, known as the Everglades. This area received the name of the “Everglades of the North”, and is known as the Grand Kankakee Marsh. This area once contained approximately a million acres in Indiana and a part of Illinois, which included Beaver Lake. Beaver Lake was the largest lake in Indiana—seven miles long and five miles wide. It was a very shallow lake with a depth of only 10 feet. Highway 41 actually goes through the area where this Lake had been. To see a brief documentary trailer on “The Everglades of the North”, check out https://www.kankakeemarsh.com.
In 2016, The Nature Conservancy began with 23 bison and currently more than 70 reside in the Kankakee Sands. I have visited this area several times and sometimes you will see the bison grazing but other times, they are resting and chewing their cud. Along with the bison you may see deer that apparently call this area their home as well.
The bison in North America is the heaviest and the longest animal, and the second tallest after the moose. They adapt themselves to various ecosystems, such as the grasslands, savannas, woodlands, wetlands and marshes. Bison are social animals and enjoy living in groups. Thus, they require a large area to graze and can thoroughly enjoy themselves in the Kankakee Sands.
The seal of the State of Indiana has adapted the bison as a symbol.
True Tales of an Entomologist – by Tom Turpin: Sexing Mosquitos
Editor’s Note: In any career there are moments and incidents that are inscribed in a person’s memory in indelible ink. In the next few issues Tom Turpin shares some of his experiences that rank high in his bank of humorous recollections, that are self-published in his Memoirs. Dealing with insects of course! The article is included in the chapter “Tales of an Entomologist”.
Sexing Mosquitoes
When I was a graduate student at Iowa State University in 1966, I helped with a mosquito survey in September. Another student and I were assigned to collect data from homes in a western Iowa county. The protocol for the survey required us to count mosquitoes resting on the ceiling of first floor rooms of the home and to identify the mosquitoes to species and sex. That area of Iowa had been associated with an outbreak of floodwater mosquitoes due to heavy fall rains. We were finding three or four species including one known as a gallinipper (Psorophora ciliate). Gallinippers are large mosquitoes with a hearty bite, something I discovered when walking in some of my research cornfields that fall.
Here’s how the survey process worked. When I spotted a mosquito, I would call out the species and whether or not it was male or female. The other student recorded the information on a data sheet.
In one memorable home visit, the lady of the house was following us as we looked for mosquitoes. When a mosquito was found the species and sex would be announced. During the process, the woman would squint and peer intently at the mosquito. At one point after a mosquito was identified to species and declared a male the lady exclaimed: “My, my, you boys must have sharp eyes to be able to see their little dinguses from way down here!”
While I was unfamiliar with the term she used, I thought I knew what she meant. So, I explained to the lady of the house that we were determining the sex of the mosquito by whether or not it had feathered antennae. Male mosquitoes have feathered antennae, females do not. We weren’t looking for their little dinguses!
Notable Historic March Events
March 1: Congress authorized the creation of Yellowstone National Park, 1872.
March 2: King Kong, the motion picture, premiered in New York, 1933.
March 7: Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his telephone, 1876.
March 10: Alexander Graham Bell's first telephone call, 1876.
March 13: The planet Uranus was discovered by Sir William Herschel, 1781.
March 14: Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, 1793.
March 15: "My Fair Lady" opened on Broadway, 1956.
March 18: Schick, Inc. marketed the first electric razor, 1931.
March 22: The first motion picture shown to an audience occurred in Paris, 1895.
March 23: The United States Mint produced its first coins made by a press, 1836.
March 25: RCA first produced color televisions, 1954.
March 27: First long distance telephone call made from Boston to New York, 1884.
March 28: Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire patented the washing machine, 1797.
March 31: Wabash, Indiana was the first town to be illuminated by electric lights, 1880; and "Oklahoma!" opened on Broadway, 1943.
Benefits/Health:
Flaky Skin
Chris Rearick, MSN, RN
Purdue Nursing Center for Family Health
Have you noticed your skin getting drier as you age? Xerosis cutis is a fancy medical term for dry skin. This dry flaky skin may begin to develop as early as 40 years old. Due to factors out of our control, our skin becomes more prone to drying.
The epidermis, which is the outermost layer of our skin, is the body’s barrier protecting us from the environment. As we age, the skin’s collagen and elastin production decrease and makes the epidermis less elastic. This adds to the inability of our skin to be able to hold onto water molecules. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a sugar molecule in our skin, joints and other body fluids which keeps our skin hydrated and plump. HA binds with water molecules but the older we get the less HA we make, so less moisture is retained in our skin. Now add conditions such as environmental exposure, diuretics, cardiovascular disease, renal insufficiency, thyroid issues and diabetes to the mix, and dry skin can worsen.
Treating dry skin is as simple as adding a thick cream or moisturizer within two to three minutes after bathing. Bathing should be limited to short showers or baths in warm water versus hot water. It also helps to pat skin dry versus rubbing skin with a towel. Soaps should be mild, and scrubbing should be limited. Fragrance free soap and moisturizers are best.
Thicker moisturizers are better than lotions. Though many lotions tend to have a higher water content they will not help the skin keep in moisture. Moisturizing emollients such as CeraVe cream or AmLactin XL cream/lotion are known to hold moisture into the skin and can be purchased at almost any retail store. These emollients also contain alpha-hydroxy acids which help break down those thickened dry skin cells. I have used AmLactin for years and personally love it.
Keep moisturizers close and use frequently. Applying cocoa butter to your feet and hands before bed can help keep your nail beds, palms of your hands and soles of your feet less dry. After applying the cocoa butter, you may find it less messy to wear socks on your feet. When you wake up the oiliness will be gone and softness should remain through the day.
It is always important to follow up with your healthcare provider. In severe cases of dry skin, dermatitis may develop, and a steroid cream may be needed short-term. Severely dry skin can be a sign of other underlying health conditions.
Time for a wellness screening?
Feel free to contact Chris at crearick@purdue.edu to schedule a wellness screening at your convenience. You may also call 496-0308 and leave a message for her.
Suggestions for Future Articles?
Please feel free to email Chris with any additional questions or suggestions for future health columns. Chris Rearick, crearick@purdue.edu or, you may call Chris at (765) 496-0308 and leave a message for her.
Campus Services News:
Contact Email for PURA
To streamline ongoing communications and service from Purdue Human Resources, a new email account has been set up. All PURA-related communications from HR will now come from pura@purdue.edu – which will show up as “PURA Admin” in your email inboxes.
If you have questions or comments going forward, please send them to this email address instead of jacksonh@purdue.edu.
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